The force, you must use!

Ah, Yoda. He was one of my first Muppetesque characters and easily my favorite Star Wars character although, Chewie holds a special place in my heart too. So imagine my delight when I found out that there is a stamp dedicated to my favorite Jedi knight and several sets of Star Wars stamps floating around the known universe! As you may imagine, I felt the force inside me awaken and I became a bit of a phantom menace to live with before I got my hands on the details (terrible pun alert).

(Buy it, you will)

Just look at this glowing portrait! He looks all lit up with forcely goodness and fully ready to unleash a can of force style whoop ass on those pesky Sith lords (*cough* nerd). Although Star Wars commemoratives are most common in the United States other countries get in on the fun too! According to Starwars.wikia.com "the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines produced two sets of Star Wars stamps in 1996. The first set featured six classic pieces of concept art by Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie. The second set featured silver foil stamps of the box art for the 1995 release of the Original Trilogy on VHS. They also released gold foil stamps featuring the VHS covers. It is interesting to note that St. Vincent is an island in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean. Antilles being a well known surname in the Star Wars universe." Another country to release a set of Star Wars postage stamps is Australia. The Aussie's "released a limited edition collectors pack that contained ten stamps showcasing the vehicles and vessels of the Star Wars saga through Attack of the Clones. The collection also included twenty sheets of Star Wars stationery and envelopes."

(Beautiful, it is)

According to Starwars.wikia.com, "The United States Postal Service, or USPS, produced stamps commemorating the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. They were released on May 25, 2007 and included 15 first-class 41¢ postage stamps featuring artwork by well-known artist Drew Struzan." The United States Postal Service even asked the public to vote on which stamp was their favorite and unsurprisingly Yoda beat out the competition with his force of fury so they released his stamp as a souvenir sheet.

(That Storm Trooper is looking for the side of a barn to miss)

The force is strong with this country, maybe it should be Yoda for president instead the hair piece, I mean Donald, eh? Stay cool stamp geeks and may the stamp force be with you!

Stamp Geek, out!

Shine Bright Like a Diamond!

What up stamp fam jam?


I'm back with another look at a weird and wonderful stamp from around the world found through the interwebs, Diamond stamps! Well actually they are stamps with Swarovski crystals embedded in them but aren't they sparkly looking!? Behold, The Swarovski Crystal souvenir sheet issued in Austria in 2004.

I have to admit, I am a little biased because I like shiny things but these stamps are probably among the most beautiful I've ever seen and not to mention the most expensive. The above sheet is now selling on Ebay for as high as $45.00 which doesn't sound like much but when it was issued back in 2004 it cost 7.50 euros which is roughly 12 bucks Canadian. The stamp was made from paper like any ordinary stamp and the crystals were stuck on with a glue specifically created for this stamp. Swarovski created a way to make the crystal-coated stamp withstand the rough automated postal sorting machines. The surface of real glass crystal shows the signature Swarovski swan. 

The stamp was issued on the 20th of September in 2014 in Austria produced in conjunction with the Austrian postal service. The total value today is 3.75 Euros however, as mentioned previously it does sell for upwards of $45.00 USD. The stamps come in four colours and measure Width-40.0 mm, Height-32.5 mm. 

If you have any ideas for future weird and wonderful stamps, comment below and let us know! 

Stay modern stampers!

Weird, Wild and Wacky Stamps From Around The World!

What up stamp fam?

Have you ever stumbled upon something online and thought, "gee, that would make a cool stamp" or "wow, that looks good enough to make postage out of"? Then you, my friend, have come to the right blog. This next series of posts will focus on some very non traditional and downright awesome stamps from around the world with heavy emphasis on far out themes. Hopefully this will help you (and I) gain a better appreciation for modern postage and open the Philatelic community up to some new ideas because lord knows we need some fresh blood injected into this hobby! Without further ado allow me to introduce you to our first weird stamp from around the world!

Behold, chocolate stamps! 

The Choco Suisse mini-sheet of 15 sold under fragrant stamps and issued in May 2001 by Switzerland renowned for its delicious chocolate. This stamp is sold in a foil wrapper booklet much like a candy bar however, don't let the deliciously fragrant aroma of chocolate fool you, on the inside it is just like any other stamp (except for the cool three dimensional chocolate illusion). When you touch it the scent is released and you are left with a decedent delight for your smell receptors. The Choco Suisse was issued specifically by Swiss Post as a novelty to entice new stamp collectors and curb a decline in the hobby. According to Elsa Baxter of Swiss Post,"we are convinced that stamps with high artistic quality as well as innovative design and new techniques will find interested collectors." Preach sister, preach. For more information feel free to read the full article at http://www.swissinfo.ch .

So, would you take a bite out of this delicious looking sheet and do you think the hobby could do with more aromatic or perhaps edible stamps? Let us know in the comments below!

Remember to stay modern.

Stamp Geek out!